By Frederik Richter and Sebastian Geisler
More than 100 journalists from ARD, ZDF and Deutschlandfunk worked for the federal government for a fee! They were booked for moderation, among other things.
For example, Linda Zervakis: The former “Tagesschau” spokeswoman (47, now ProSieben) moderated events for the Federal Chancellery four times. At the re:publica digital fair, she interviewed Chancellor Olaf Scholz (64, SPD). A tame interview. No wonder the chancellery reimbursed the costs!
In response to an AfD request, the federal government disclosed a 25-page list of 200 journalists (also from “Zeit”, “Spiegel”, “Tagesspiegel”).
In total, the federal government paid them about 1.5 million euros over the past five years. More than half of them to journalists from public service broadcasters. So much for “remote from the state” – which ARD and ZDF should actually pay attention to.
For example, RBB alone (belongs to ARD) has sent eight journalists since 2018 because the Ministry of Economic Affairs booked them for moderation. They received an estimated 100,000 euros. A ZDF journalist collected a total of 32,367.50 euros from the Federal Press Office for “creating video content”.
FDP Vice President Wolfgang Kubicki (71) to BILD about state funds for journalists: “Highly problematic! Here the special democratic role of journalism as the so-called fourth estate is taken ad absurdum. It is not part of the job of journalists to serve the political establishment, but to control it.”
► His demand: “It would be better if at least the representatives of public service broadcasting, which are already financed by a compulsory levy, keep their hands off these collections.”
“Cheating damages credibility”
Union parliamentary group leader Thorsten Frei (49, CDU) is also upset. He told BILD: “Journalists sideline themselves when they cast doubt on their independence. In their own interest, employees of public service broadcasters should show a high degree of transparency with regard to their additional income. Cheating not only damages one’s own credibility, it also harms the entire industry.”
Axel Springer (BILD, WELT) also appears on the list several times. When asked by BILD, the Ministry of Economic Affairs admitted that it was a mistake: Axel Springer does not belong on the list.